# Otsuka Buys the 'Boring' Version of MDMA — and Pays $1.2B for It - Date: 2026-03-27 - Category: Biotech & Life Sciences Otsuka Pharmaceutical is acquiring Transcend Therapeutics, a New York-based clinical-stage biotech, for $700 million upfront with up to $525 million in milestone payments — [a deal valued at $1.225 billion](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/otsuka-pharmaceutical-to-acquire-transcend-therap... ---